RVIA enjoyed its largest turnout ever for its 12th Capitol Hill Advocacy Day with 37 association members taking part in meetings with 83 different congressional offices at this year’s event held June 5 in Washington, D.C, in conjunction with Committee Week.

During meetings with 44 House and 39 Senate offices, RV industry members were able to raise awareness of the RV industry at the federal level and discuss several key issues. Meeting topics included the strong recovery of the RV market, the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade agreement, and the importance of preserving the second home mortgage deduction eligibility for RVs.

“Our members enjoyed a very productive day on the Hill meeting with legislators and their staff to educate them on the RV industry’s positions on key issues,” said Mike Ochs, director of government affairs, who organized the event. “This is an event that our members really enjoy. At the end of the day they are energized and excited about the work they have done to help promote the RV industry at the federal level.”

“The opportunity to meet face-to-face with our elected officials and develop a relationship is invaluable,” said John Draheim, president and CEO of Fleetwood RV Inc. “It is tremendous to engage in meaningful conversations that lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the issues facing the RV industry.”

Advocacy Day has played a valuable role in helping RVIA secure key legislative victories in recent years, including exempting RV awnings from commercial width regulations; having EPA adopt the CARB wood products standard for formaldehyde emission levels; including RV retail and wholesale loans in the Term-Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility; and having tax breaks for motorhome purchases included in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Members of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) Public Relations Committee were informed of the hiring of another consultant to promote the RV industry among national trade publications during RVIA Committee Week June 2-6 at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C.

James A. Boyle of Boyle Public Affairs, McClean, Va., has joined Diane McNamara of Fire it Up, PR, Boston, under contract to generate publicity for the RV industry. McNamara has already been promoting the RV lifestyle in consumer periodicals.

Both have stepped up to help fill the void left by the untimely March 2 passing of Jon Tancredi, 46, who served RVIA for 20 years as a PR professional with Barton Gilanelli & Associates and more recently as president of Tancredi Public Relations.

The committee also recommended approval of partnership packages with ESPN, CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated to promote RV tailgating at upcoming NCAA and NFL football games along with other sporting events.

The tie-in to sports is a natural connection for promoting the RV lifestyle, said committee Chairman B.J. Thompson of BJ Thompson Associates, Elkhart, Ind. ”Tailgating with an RV enhances a person’s interest when they attend sporting events,” Thompson said.

Thompson reported that the RV industry has received a large amount of attention from national media outlets including NBC, ABC, Fox and CNN in addition to exposure in Sunset and Midwest Living magazines, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal.

”Because of recent strong consumer demand for RVs, we’ve had quite a bit of interest from the national media,” Thompson told RVBUSINESS.com.

Additionally, the PR Committee asked the RVIA staff to coordinate an updated vacation cost comparison by San Francisco-based PFK Consulting LLC, the most recent of which was conducted three years ago.

The committee also heard that RVIA’s most recent Campfire Canvas of about 400 RV owners found that 71% intend to use their RVs more through the summer months than they did last year and that 78% cited outdoor activities as the reason they intend to use their RVs.

”Those are pretty good numbers,” Thompson said. ”Rather than us speaking in general terms about how great RVing is, we can go to the media with specific information.”

The Campfire Canvas is a biannual survey conducted by Internet-based Cvent, McLean, Va.

The committee also recommended that Brad and Amy Herzog continue to be RVIA’s traveling spokespersons for the 14th year.

The programs recommended for approval by the committee are pending until final approval by the RVIA Executive Committee at its August budget meeting and the RVIA board at its annual meeting in September.

U.S. park model builders played a central role during the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) Annual Committee Week, held June 2-6 at the historic Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C. – more so than they have in years.

In an era when camping is trending in some cases toward more long-term stays involving an array of destination-style vehicles and camping cabins, RVIA has been focusing a lot of attention on park trailer builders who last year agreed to rejoin RVIA after an absence of 18 years and shelve their existing trade group, the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA).

And it quickly became evident that park trailer companies are comfortable with their new association ties during Committee Week, where RVIA’s board of directors endorsed committee recommendations to change the name of the association’s “Destination Camping Committee” to the “Seasonal Camping Committee” to better reflect common use of those terms among RV park operators and the camping public.

RVIA, for public relations and marketing purposes, will now refer to these types of units as “Park Model RV’s” while using either of the terms “Recreational Park Trailers” or “Park Model RV’s” for regulatory and standards purposes. Behind the new nomenclature is a desire on the part of park model builders, the national trade association and many campground operators to accentuate their status as recreation vehicles that are essentially mobile and distinct from housing whenever such questions might arise among consumers, zoning boards and taxing bodies in the future.

“Really, it’s a rebranding effort,” reports Park Model RV Committee Chairman John Soard, general manager of Fairmont Park Models, a division of Nappanee, Ind.-based Fairmont Homes Inc. “We for a long time in the park model business have just wanted to be affiliated more closely with what HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) calls us, which is an RV, and we’ve just never had the word ‘RV’ in the actual name of the product. We wanted to have that name – RV – in there, and we are now ‘Park Model RV’s.’”

Seasonal Camping Committee meets

Soard is pleased with the RVIA staff support his company and the other 23 park trailer manufacturers who have joined RVIA since last year have been receiving in a number of ways — from seals to marketing to shipment reports — under the watch of Matt Wald, executive director of park model RV’s for RVIA.

“Those items are all important,” said Soard. “You have government affairs working hard to get a list of the code states and what their issues are and how to define park models. That was huge, and so was getting accurate shipping data. That’s a big deal, and we were very pleased with how that came about. Getting us RV seals was very helpful. Then, there’s the Show Committee integrating us back into the Louisville Show. That was a big deal for us as well.

“Again,” he added, “all of this took staff’s time and effort to get things done for us. These are all things that we all, as a committee, wanted to be addressed, and they were handled very professionally. All things considered, the recognition within RVIA of the seasonal camping market and how big it is, that was a big deal to us. I’d say, overall, it’s been an incredible first year with RVIA, and I’m very pleased with how smoothly the transition has been going.”

“I think that the direction we’re headed in is going to be definitely positive for our segment of the RV industry,” says Gage, whose company in June introduced a new parkmodels.com website. “And I like the new branding, so to speak, as a ‘Park Model RV.’ That’s really what we are. I think that things have gone well.”

Gage appreciates the “phenomenal support” of Wald, who told WCM that standards inspections were the most pressing priority over the past year in integrating these new companies, which together account for about 3,000 units a year — a fairly small number vs. the RV industry’s estimated total wholesale shipment numbers of 310,000 for 2013. In fact, Wald says the need for consistent and professional standards inspections was one of the main reasons the park model sector wanted to rejoin RVIA in the first place after exiting in 1994.

“Everybody (park trailer builders) was very nervous about how that was going to go,” said Wald. “They had 20 years of experience with third-party inspectors who took a very different approach to the inspection than our inspectors do. Ultimately, the (RVIA) inspectors have found a very high degree of conformance with ANSI 119.5 (the park model standard) among the OEMS.”

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) board wrapped up Committee Week, held June 2-6 at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., by approving a host of committee recommendations at their meeting on Thursday.

In addition, RVIA named two new members to its board. Mike Farmer, vice president of sales and marketing for Carefree of Colorado, will fulfill the term of the company seat being vacated by Jeff Rutherford, who is leaving Carefree of Colorado to join Airxcel. Jim Hammill, president of Roadtrek Motorhomes, will assume that company’s seat which had been filled by Jeff Hanemaayer who is resigning.

In the area of industry education, the board gave approval to a new pilot program designed to help increase awareness of and participation in industry technician training and certification programs. Kicking off in July, the six-month pilot effort will utilize in-field representatives visiting RV dealerships in the northwest (Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and south central (Louisiana and Texas) United States to test the new approach. The effectiveness of the pilot program will be reviewed at the end of the six-month period.

The field reps will work to establish relationships with service managers and technicians to identify those involved in service areas at the dealership and gather contact information. They will also examine what service training has been received at the dealership and what training may be needed. If training in a specific area is needed, the field rep would work to facilitate making that training available to the dealership and others within the region.

In other actions, the RVIA Board approved:

• Using the term “park model RVs” for public relations and marketing purposes while using either of the terms “recreational park trailers” or “park model RVs” for regulatory and standards purposes.

• Investigating the feasibility of participating in the development of a global RV standard (ISO) to identify the potential benefits of such an endeavor.

• Adding Class B motorhomes to the “Retail Sales Activity” (12-month Rate of Change) section of the Monthly Marketing Report beginning with the July report.

• Raising the spare/demo unit fee at the California RV Show from $300 to $400 for 2013.

• Increasing the registration fees at the show for nonexhibiting attendees from $60 to $100 for members and from $120 to $200 for non-members for 2013.

The RVIA board actions were the result of recommendations from many of the association’s standing committees that met from June 2-4. Programs with specific budgets for FY2014 are pending until final approval by the RVIA Executive Committee at its August budget meeting and the RVIA Board at its September meeting.

The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) on June 4 welcomed Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service, as its special guest speaker at the Great Outdoors Week Recreation Exchange, hosted jointly by ARC and the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA).

While complimenting the readiness of new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Jarvis’s remarks covered a number of key topics, including the challenges currently facing the National Park Service (NPS), the agency’s upcoming 2016 Centennial and new agency initiatives, according to a press release.

As it prepares for its second century, the National Park Service is encountering a number of significant challenges, from essentially flat visitation to aging infrastructure, and Jarvis commented that the lack of cultural and ethnic diversity among visitors and the irrelevance of the parks to too many young people were even greater concerns than the lack of growth in visitation. “We’ve got to connect to all Americans,” he said, describing the lack of diversity and youth as “a recipe for decline.”

Another challenge cited by the director is funding. He described both the current economic situation and the federal budgetary process as “tough,” explaining that the Park Service is faced with the difficult task of managing “a perpetuity mission on an annual appropriation.”

Directly related to the funding issue is the agency’s $11 billion infrastructure-maintenance backlog, half of which involves roads. Other challenges include the wide-ranging impacts of climate change, Americans’ lack of interest in history and the need to enhance technical connectivity – seen as absolutely essential by young people – in the national parks.

Despite this daunting list, Jarvis remains optimistic. “They’re all fixable with some work,” said Jarvis, who described the Centennial — to be celebrated on August 25, 2016 — as an opportunity not only to celebrate but also to prepare for a second century of stewardship and public engagement by laying out specific actions to meet specific goals. Four goals that will be the focus of Centennial preparations entail connecting people to parks, advancing the agency’s educational role, preserving special places and enhancing organizational excellence.

Jarvis feels that connecting people to parks begins in neighborhoods, noting that agency outreach programming needs “to go to where the people are.”

As examples of the Park Service’s educational mission, he cited the lessons that can be learned by visiting Gettysburg or Vicksburg rather than just reading about them.

Meanwhile, Jarvis reminded the group that the first director of the National Park Service, Stephen Mather, was a marketing expert from the private sector who had successfully sold the national parks – “in the middle of nowhere” – to both the U.S. Congress and American people by partnering with the tourism industry, represented in those days by the railroads with the National Geographic Society and with the artistic community to attract people to these special places.

Today, in contrast, while the agency’s Organic Act tasks the NPS with both the regulation and promotion of the national parks, the regulatory side has been dominant.

Yet, he characterized the job done on the promotional side as “not so hot,” although, he says, the situation is changing. For one thing, Grey Advertising has been hired by the National Park Foundation to develop an over-arching campaign strategy for the national parks in conjunction with the Centennial. Utilizing this effort to build awareness of the National Park System will take a real marketing strategy, he stated, likening it to the RV industry’s Go RVing campaign, and will involve the use of well known figures from sports and Hollywood, as well as iconic events like the Tournament of Roses Parade and halftime at the Super Bowl. A successful campaign will also mean increased visitation and the development of a constituency for parks – as both stewards and philanthropists – among the next generation.

The agency, in turn, is also looking at new models for financing its operations, he reported, and is carefully evaluating the many different ideas for sustainable supplemental funding introduced recently during a gathering at the Bipartisan Policy Center. And he praised the innovative ideas that are coming from urban parks, involving community engagement, new partnerships, and the restoration of both lands and waters. Linking outdoor experiences with improved health offers another avenue for increasing interest in and support for the outdoors.

In fact, the medical community should be prescribing the outdoors, Jarvis asserted, telling people to “Go RVing, go fishing . . . take a hike and call me in the morning.”

He noted that the National Park Service would be co-sponsoring a conference with the Centers for Disease Control in 2014 on “Healthy Parks, Healthy People” – in partnership with national park concessioners – through which healthy food will be introduced into the park experience. And Jarvis invited the audience to join him on the national mall the following day for a special event featuring healthy food.

Jarvis said land-management agencies were working together to improve connectivity and access to public lands and have become involved in initiatives recognizing the contributions of various ethnic groups and appealing to children as well, including a new partnership with Sesame Street. He also reported that a new study on the economic impact of national parks was being undertaken and should be ready by 2016.

He concluded his remarks by describing the national parks as a great – and distinctively American – concept to establish places where all the people can enjoy the outdoors. “We are looking to use every one of our tools in our toolbox and every one of our partners . . . and every one of the land management agencies . . . to really re-engage the American public in this extraordinary asset,” he said.

Asked afterward during a question-and-answer period about the impact of the sequestration process, Jarvis described actions that had been taken to absorb the mandated 5% reduction in funding. Among them are delayed openings, facility closures, reduced hours and programs, more deferred maintenance, a hiring freeze, a decrease in seasonal employees and furloughs of park police. “I think we will muddle through this summer,” he said. “We didn’t close any parks.”

But he did express concern about the impact of additional funding cuts. All across the country, he asserted, parks are economic engines for the areas that surround them, meaning that park closures would impact far more than the parks themselves.

So, what’s his message to Congress?

“What we do is not a cost,” he said. “It’s an investment. It has enormous return.”

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) team of inspectors met with staff from the association’s Standards and Education department from May 7-9 at RVIA headquarters in Reston, Va. The meetings are held regularly to help maintain and improve the consistency in the standards inspection process. The primary focus at this session was to review the recent enforcement positions published in the RV Handbook, and also to continue the effort to become better educated on all the ANSI A119.5 Recreational Park Trailer Standard (2009 edition) requirements. The inspectors also submitted technical issues that they have discovered during their inspections which resulted in the drafting of several handbook updates and code change proposals for RVIA Technical Subcommittee review this October. During the meeting, the group also reviewed upcoming 2014 NFPA 1192, ANSI 12V and NEC code changes that will start being enforced September 1, 2014. The next inspection staff meeting is scheduled during the upcoming RVIA National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Ky. Pictured in the photo are (L-R): John Proteau, standards administrator/chief inspector; Kent Perkins, senior director of RV standards; Gatie Gore, standards administrative assistant; Curt Richardson, senior inspector; Mick Sass, inspector/media coordinator; Nancy Jo Bell-London, inspection services coordinator; Greg Wischmeyer, inspector/certified technician; Bruce Hopkins, vice president, standards and education; and Sharonne Lee, director, technical information.

If you find yourself on the road this Memorial Day weekend, you might want to keep track of the recreational vehicles you see.

MSN Money reported that while not exactly a surefire economic bellwether, RV sales have been coming back after a disastrous recession for the industry, and they may be another indicator of a strengthening economy.

Elkhart, Ind., is the heart of the business, with about 83% of all North American RVs manufactured in the region. Unemployment in Elkhart soared to more than 20% in 2009 as the economic downturn deepened, RV sales plunged and several manufacturers closed their doors or disappeared through consolidation.

“When the stock market went to hell in a hand basket, when the ability to get credit went to hell in a hand basket, when your home (value) all of a sudden . . . went down so drastically, your wealth factor is pretty low. That stops motor home buying,” Richard Coon, the president of the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), said recently at an industry breakfast.

But according to the RVIA, a stronger economy has pulled the industry out of a ditch. The trade group predicts more than 307,000 recreational vehicles will be manufactured and shipped this year. That number is still below the pre-recession high of 353,400 reached in 2007, but it’s nearly twice as high as the low point of just under 166,000 in 2009.

Recreational vehicles come in a wide variety of types and price ranges. Units that fit on the back of a pickup and popup camping trailers start at about $3,500. They go all the way up to tour-bus-size “home away from home” Class A vehicles, which can run anywhere from $50,000 to the hundreds of thousands of dollars. And of course you need to factor in gas prices.

Richard Curtin, the director of the Consumer Research Center at the University of Michigan, says a combination of factors is behind the recent growth in recreational vehicle sales, including an easing of credit terms and better availability of consumer loans, as well as modest gains in household income.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) has partnered with the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration in a program to allow RVIA members enhanced access to international trade resources offered by the federal government.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the two organizations, RVIA and the U.S. Commercial Service’s network of worldwide offices will work together on marketing, education programs and events leveraging both entities’ expertise to help make businesses — and particularly small and medium-sized firms — more export savvy. Joint activities may include building awareness through outreach at trade shows and online registration for resource support.

As a strategic partner with the U.S. Commercial Service’s New Market Exporter Initiative, RVIA member companies will receive:

• Assistance in complying with regulatory and documentation requirements.

• Expert advice, local contacts and market intelligence from specialists located in targeted markets.

• Services to connect to local distributors and representatives.

“We’re pleased to welcome RVIA as a partner in our efforts to strengthen the U.S. economy and support local jobs through expanding U.S. exports,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. “With more than 95% of potential customers living outside U.S. borders, it’s imperative that American companies of all sizes consider the benefits of selling their products abroad.”

“The RV industry is growing and thriving in established and new markets in countries across the globe,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “The services and expertise offered through the New Market Exporter Initiative will be very useful to our members who are looking to explore opportunities in global markets. We are very proud to partner with the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, in this initiative and urge our members to take full advantage of the tools and resources available through the effort.”

For more information about the New Market Exporter Initiative and to begin using the program’s services, go to www.export.gov/rvia. For additional information, contact Craig Kirby, RVIA vice president of international business and general counsel, at ckirby@rvia.org.

Economist Richard Curtin, director of the Consumer Research Center at the University of Michigan, will provide the initial outlook for RV wholesale shipments in 2014 during remarks at the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) Committee Week 2013 at the Joint Committee Luncheon, taking place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on June 3.

According to a press release, his presentation will also include the latest projections for year-end 2013 totals and an examination of the general economic climate.

RVIA’s Committee Week 2013 will take place June 2–6 at the Mayflower Renaissance Washington in Washington, D.C. Over the course of the five-day event, standing committees, the Executive Committee and the RVIA board will meet to set the association’s plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The Go RVing Coalition will also meet on June 3. The event concludes with the board meeting on June 6 where committee recommendations are reviewed.

For more information about Committee Week, contact Doreen Cashion in the Meetings and Shows Department at (703) 620-6003 (ext. 324) or dcashion@rvia.org.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) public relations team has been working throughout the winter and early spring to promote the RV industry and lifestyle in the media nationwide.

According to a press release, the effort has resulted in a multitude of positive RV stories highlighting the industry’s growth in shipments, as well as key messages about the affordability, fun and flexibility of RV travel.

Stories have appeared in national and local media outlets. Here are a few highlights from the national media:

• On March 1, USA Today reported that motorhome shipments rose 13.6% in 2012 and were expected to rise approximately the same amount in 2013. The story cited RVIA statistics, included quotes from industry executives, and discussed the falling unemployment rate in Elkhart County.

• On Feb. 21, The Wall Street Journal published an article about the RV industry bouncing back from the recession. The story focused primarily on upscale design features now available in towable RVs.

• A Jan. 28 story that appeared on Today.com reported on the Kelloggs — a family with 12 children that sold their house to live full-time on the road in an RV.

• On Jan. 27, RV tailgating was highlighted on the FOX News morning show “Fox & Friends.” The segment featured sportswriter Kerry Byrne, who also published blog entries and videos highlighting the RV lifestyle on the popular NFL site ColdHardFootballFacts.com.

RVIA has also worked with show promoters across the country to generate media coverage of the new products and record crowds reported at RV shows. Positive stories about the industry’s growing sales and popularity appeared in dozens of local media outlets around the country. For full details, visit the “News Room” at RVIA.org.

Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) members will visit members of Congress and their key legislative staff during the association’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day, scheduled for June 5 during Committee Week.

“Advocacy Day is one of the highlights of Committee Week for attendees and a vitally important element in RVIA’s efforts to increase awareness of the industry and our issues at the federal level,” said Jay Landers, RVIA’s senior director of government affairs, in a press release. “These visits and meetings help strengthen relationships between RVIA members and the members of Congress who represent their states and districts.”

RVIA’s Government Affairs staff schedules appointments with elected officials, provides briefing materials and accompanies members on visits. The program also gives participants the opportunity to have photos taken with Congressmen and Senators.

Advocacy Day begins with a morning meeting during which RVIA members are briefed on the issues they will be discussing with congressional members and their staff. The briefing includes rehearsal exercises that help RVIA members practice discussing key issues before they set out to meet elected officials.

For more information on RVIA’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day visit http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=CHAD or contact Monika Geraci at mgeraci@rvia.org or (703) 620-6003 (ext. 318).

Shipment reports released by the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) show that after a steady 2012, park model shipments were up sharply to start 2013.

According to a press release, this follows a trend seen across the entire RV industry. RVIA is reporting that 2,770 units were shipped in 2012, a small improvement over the 2,761 units that the Recreational Park Trailer Industry Association (RPTIA) reported were shipped by manufacturers in 2011.

According to RVIA Executive Director of Recreational Park Trailers Matt Wald, “Park trailer shipments began surging in October of 2012 and that has continued into 2013. In fact, shipments in January of 2013 were an incredible 138% higher than shipments reported in January 2012. Through February 2013, park model shipments are about 75% higher compared to the first two months of 2012.”

He added, “The bottom line is that the park model industry has been red hot for the past five months.”

Wald points to a number of factors for the surge in shipments, including growing interest in seasonal camping as Baby Boomers continue to retire in droves as well as a push by many campgrounds to reap the benefits of making deluxe camping accommodation rentals available to their customers.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association’s (RVIA) Nominating Committee has issued a call for candidates from the association’s membership to run in this year’s board election.

According to a press release, there are seven positions up for election this year including seats for one manufacturer, one recreation park trailer manufacturer, two at-large, and three supplier representatives.

The RVIA board has the highest level of authority in the association’s organizational structure. It is responsible for association affairs on a broad policy basis. The board meets three times per year: in March, during Committee Week in June, and in mid-September.

“The RVIA Board plays an integral role in guiding the work of the association and shaping the future of the RV industry,” said RVIA President Richard Coon. “We encourage any association member with an interest in working on the key issues facing the RV industry to run for a seat on the RVIA board.”

Each RVIA manufacturer and supplier member company is afforded a single vote in the association elections, scheduled to take place electronically in August. Newly elected board members will begin serving their terms on Oct. 1.

Those interested in becoming a candidate for the RVIA board elections should contact RVIA’s Mac Bryan at (703) 620-6003, ext. 334, or mbryan@rvia.org for consideration by the RVIA Nominating Committee.

That group is chaired by Jeff Rutherford of Carefree of Colorado and includes Andy Baer of KZRV LP, Gregg Fore of Dicor Corp. and Jim Sheldon of Navistar RV.

RVIA’s Committee Week 2013 will take place June 2–6 at the Mayflower Renaissance Washington in Washington, D.C., according to a press release.

Over the course of the five-day event, standing committees, the Executive Committee and the RVIA board will meet to set the association’s plans for the upcoming fiscal year. The Go RVing Coalition will also meet on June 3.

In addition to the full slate of committee meetings, other key events on the schedule include:

• 2014 RV Market Outlook – Economist Richard Curtin, director of consumer research at the University of Michigan, will provide the first forecast for the RV market in 2014 and examine the current economic climate at the Joint Committee Luncheon on June 3.

• RVIA’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Day – RVIA members will visit Capitol Hill on June 5 to meet with legislators and their staff to discuss key issues critical to the RV industry.

• Networking Events – Several joint committee luncheons and receptions, including the opening reception the evening of June 3 at the National Museum of Crime and Punishment, will give Committee Week participants the opportunity to establish, renew and build upon the relationships critical to business success.

The Mayflower Renaissance Washington is a luxury hotel and historic landmark. Proclaimed by President Truman to be Washington, D.C.’s “Second Best Address” after the White House, the hotel is on the National Registry of Historic Places and a Historic Hotel of America.

Located just blocks from the White House, metro stops and dining and cultural hot spots, the 4-diamond property offers a splendid center for exploring the city.

For more information about Committee Week, contact Doreen Cashion in the Meetings and Shows Department at (703) 620-6003 (ext. 324) or dcashion@rvia.org.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association RVIA board elected two new members to the Executive Committee and three new members to board seats during its March 4 meeting in Orlando, Fla., in conjunction with the association’s Annual Meeting.

Garry Enyart of Cummins Power Generation and Matt Miller of Newmar Corp. were elected to the Executive Committee as treasurer and secretary, respectively. The two join Chairman Doug Gaeddert of Forest River Inc.; 1st Vice Chairman Derald Bontrager of Jayco Inc.; 2n Vice Chairman Bob Parish of GE Capital; Chairman Ex Officio Gregg Fore of Dicor Corp.; and RVIA President Richard Coon. They replace Bob Olson of Winnebago Industries Inc. and John Regan of Fabric Services who both resigned from the RVIA board and Executive Committee.

The new board members are Chad Reece of Winnebago, assuming the manufacturer seat vacated by Olson; Tim Stephens of Atwood Mobile Products, appointed to the supplier seat vacated by Regan; and Dave Schutz of Dometic Corp., assuming the supplier seat vacated by Doug Whyte).

In other action at the meeting, the RVIA board:

• Decreased the cost of the RVIA seal from $17 to $16, effective July 1. The new $16 seal fee will apply to all member manufacturer vehicle types. The Go RVing per unit assessment remains unchanged at the current levels of $46 for folding camping trailers and truck campers; $61 for travel trailers and fifth-wheel travel trailers; and $74 for motorhomes.

• Allocated an additional $150,000 to the fiscal year 2013 budget for the Education Department to accelerate and enhance the educational and training efforts for RV service technicians and to increase technician participation in programs.

• Approved changing the show hours for the California RV Show to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays.

• Set the RV manufacturer do-it-yourself booth rate for the California RV Show at $2.65 per square foot, up from $2.50 per square foot in 2012.

• Increased the height limit for manufacturer exhibits at the National RV Trade Show from 16 feet to 20 feet.